Bike Heaven in Empty Slovenian Hydro Pumped Storage Power Plant

Photo: Photos by keki & subtilen"Surface is very smooth hydroisolation coating, so perfect for riding."A lot of us treehuggers are cyclists, and I bet most of us have a dream place they wish they could ride in. For some, it might be the quiet Scottish countryside during the summer... and for others it might be the empty accumulation pool of a hydroelectric pumped storage power station!Photo: Photos by keki & subtilen

It basically acts as a giant battery where water can be pumped when there's a surplus of energy. For example, if this power station was combined with wind power, it could store energy when there's a surplus (usually when the wind is blowing off peak), and produce energy from the stored water when the wind isn't blowing, reducing the impact of the wind's intermittency. This isn't something new (Norway does something similar with its hydro power), but as more and more power is generated from intermittent sources, we'll probably see more of it.